Vancouver Weekend: We're Thinking....Diners

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      Need something to do this weekend? Here are five old-school diners where you can dig into a hearty meal.

      The Templeton, 1087 Granville Street

      Few stretches of Vancouver have changed as much over the past 100 years as downtown Granville Street, which has transformed from a neon-lit ’20s entertainment hub to a ’70s wasteland to a new-millennium party zone. Seemingly caught in an endless time warp is the Templeton, a former greasy-spoon dive lovingly reimagined as a diner David Lynch might appreciate. The decor is pure old-school cool, from the black-and-white-checkerboard floors to the soda-shop swivel stools to the ’50s-style booths (which come complete with vintage mini-jukeboxes). A decidedly modern-leaning menu includes breakfast options like Mangled Eggs (three eggs scrambled with garlic, brie, and bacon/veggie bacon in a toasted croissant, served with rosemary potatoes), cinnamon-raisin French toast, and the Hakai Omelet (smoked salmon with red onions and cream cheese). For those who don’t get out of bed until 6 p.m., dinner items range from the Sesame Soy Ahi Tuna Steak to 3-Cheese Organic Macaroni to Beer Battered Fish & Chips. After you’ve ordered Coconut Panko Chicken Strips with chili sauce, get your buzz on during happy hour with a Cuba Libra, screwdriver, or gin and tonic. Afterward, stagger out onto Granville Street and ask yourself, “Where did all the old neon signs go, not to mention the peep shows and porno theatres?”

      Bon's Off Broadway does a killer budget-friendly breakfast, but the fries-and-gravy are a safe bet, too.
      Flickr/Heather Joan

      Bon’s Off Broadway, 2451 Nanaimo Street

      While the rest of Vancouver morphs into the new Dubai, Bon’s Off Broadway is there to remind us of saner if earthier times. Decorated like an Australian’s nightmare, with clashing yellows, reds, and blues designed to wake you the fuck up from that hangover; walls festooned with posters for everything from Kill Bill, to Trailer Park Boys, to an astonishing number of straight-to-VHS movies that you’ve never heard of (until now); toilets that appear to have been shipped in from a Times Square bathhouse in 1974; and the always welcome feeling that the floor was built over a swamp… It’s a trip, to say the least. Of course, Bon’s is also famous for its all-day, $2.95 breakfast, but the wise money goes on a simple plate of fries and gravy—the best in the city, if you and your kale-and-quinoa-munching ass can remember what a plate of fries and gravy actually tastes like. 

      Who needs Madame Tussauds when Sunshine Diner lets you stare at statues of Elvis, Marilyn, and James Dean for free?
      Sunshine Diner

      Sunshine Diner, 2649 West Broadway

      Who needs Madame Tussauds? Here in Vancouver, the Sunshine Diner lets you stare at statues of Elvis, Marilyn, and James Dean for free—right on the sidewalk in the 2600 block of West Broadway. Just inside the door, you’ll practically bump into the front grille of a baby-blue ’57 Chevy. If you look to the side, you’ll see a cherry-red replica of another ’57 Chevy hanging on the wall. With its comfy booths, neon signs, retro Coca-Cola signs, movie-star posters and figurines, and checkerboard-tile floor, it’s like stepping right into the Eisenhower era. Even the menu has that retro feel, offering tasty sundaes and desserts, original 1950s-era glass bottles of soda, and absolutely delish eggs Benny and three-egg omelettes all day long. If you’re feeling adventurous, go for the specialty James Dean Burger: a meat patty, an over-hard egg, and sausage. There’s nothing like it in Vancouver. The Sunshine Diner has been the Pantsios family’s labour of love for more than two decades. 

      You can't go wrong with any of the free-range egg offerings at Roundel Cafe.
      Roundel Cafe

      Roundel Cafe, 2465 East Hasting Street

      Lime-green walls, sunshine-yellow countertops, and a mishmash of ‘50s-style furnishings somehow work at the Roundel Cafe, an eclectic diner in the heart of the East Village—or Hastings-Sunrise, depending on what camp you’re in. Yes, the eatery’s interiors are definitely out-there, to say the least, but they’re not what the crowds of bearded and nonbearded hipsters, tot-toting families, and kind-looking elderly folk are huddled outside for on any given weekend. Roundel does fresh, local, and organic—composting their goods whenever possible—and they do it pretty damn well. Think whole-wheat tortilla wraps loaded with free-range chicken, tuna, or avocado; organic beef and tofu burgers; and slow-cooked chili topped with pulled chicken and crisp cabbage slaw. Breakfast, of course, is another beast. You can’t go wrong with any of the joint’s free-range-egg omelettes or Bennys, and we’re a sucker for the Challah French Toast: four slices of delightfully doughy carbs smothered in blueberry compote and swirls of whipped cream for good measure. 

      Southern-style comfort food, like this pulled pork grilled cheese, is the name of the game at Deacon's Corner.
      Deacon's Corner

      Deacon’s Corner, 101 Main Street and 3189 West Broadway

      The menu at Deacon’s Corner is a combination of classic diner fare with southern-style comfort food. It prides itself on being a destination for the hungover and serves breakfast all day. Menu staples include fried chicken with biscuits and gravy, Carolina pancakes with pulled pork, corned beef hash, steak and eggs, chili, and grits—which is a specialty here. The servings are generous and the vibe is chill, so there’s lots of time to work your way through a meal and a beverage. This Kitsilano location opened a year ago and is the second in Vancouver. It’s named after a truck stop on the Trans-Canada Highway outside of Winnipeg. Bonus: if you make it during happy hour, you get a free “special” appy.

      Running every Thursday, Vancouver Weekend spotlights five Straight-approved places around the city worth discovering.

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